The annual meeting for all LIFE WILDisland project partners was held from May 19 to 22, hosted by Persina Nature Park in Belene, Bulgaria.
The first day of the three-day meeting was dedicated to the current progress of the LIFE WILDisland project. On arrival at the visitor centre of Persina Nature Park, the participants were able to admire the new 3D model of riparian forests and their biodiversity, which was set up as part of the project. Life-size replicas of habitats and animals that are often difficult to spot in nature vividly convey the richness of the protected goods of the surrounding Nature Park.
The morning workshop gave an overview of the current status of the LIFE WILDisland project – which milestones were achieved together in the past year, and which goals have been set for the coming year. Each partner gave a brief overview of their status and the respective challenges. Of course, everyone was more than excited that our partner Fertő-Hanság National Park (Hungary) was already able to report the first complete restoration measure within the LIFE WILDisland project. With the side branch revitalisation at Erebe Islands, a real milestone has been achieved.
In the afternoon, the group set off for a joint field trip to Persina Island, which is the largest Danube island in Bulgaria. Even though it is considered highly impacted (category C), about half of its surface is part of the area managed by the Persina Nature Park. The island provides an interesting area of tension: on the one hand, there is an active prison on the island, so that access is only possible with prior registration and an identity check. On the other hand, the island is home to typical Danube marshes with rare and threatened species of plants and a paradise for numerous colonies of waterfowl birds. The field trip led to the recently installed Ramsar site information point from which a marsh and its inhabitants can be watched. The absolute highlight was, of course, the pelicans, which could be observed at close range as they soared into the air, nested on a platform or sailed over the water.
Back at the visitor centre, the participants were able to take part in the opening of the truly impressive photo exhibition “The uniqueness of the Danube WILDislands”. The eventful and informative day was concluded with a joint dinner on-site.
One more event took place the same day – the celebration of Persina Nature Park’s birthday, with a variety of information stands, workshops for kids and a rich folklore programme, including not only local kids and folklore assemblies, but also a performance by Roman soldiers and Roman wine.
Things got exciting on the morning of the last day when follow-up project ideas were discussed in two groups. We consider this a crucial step for ensuring the long-term sustainability of the WILDisland concept, building on and further developing the partnerships we created to replicate our best practices further and continue working for the Danube WILDisland habitat corridor!
Finally, with their hearts full of ideas and new impressions, all the partners had to make their way home in various cardinal directions. Right after saying goodbye, we received the great news that our first mid-term report of the LIFE WILDisland project had been approved and the second payment released! What a fitting end to such an exciting, informative and productive exchange!
We are looking forward to continuing our joint work!